Getting Started with Amateur Satellites

First, we cover FM Satellites, then linear ones with Chris VA3ECO. This was the April 5th, 2025, Beginner's Academy Zoom topic. 73, Greg N4KGL

Geocaching Intro by Roy KM4ROF

Roy Burkett, callsign KM4ROF, enlightened our Beginners' Academy Zoom on a fun activity, Geocaching. Roy has set up some caches in Panama City to promote the Panama City Amateur Radio Club.

Operate the Florida QSO Party, April 26 & 27, 2025

 Dear Fellow FQP Fans,

Hello again and thanks to so many of you for your participation in the 2024 Florida QSO Party (FQP).

 

The 2025 Florida QSO Party will be held April 26 & 27, and we sure hope you'll join us. 

All 67 counties will be active.   

Please check out the rules and further details at our Web Site: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/

 

Rules Changes:

-        Expanded Suggested Frequencies

-        Log submissions required within 10 days after the end of FQP

 

The Florida QSO Party

Object: Everyone works Florida, Florida works Everyone
Activate and work ALL Florida counties
Have as much FUN as possible!

When: April 26 & 27, 2025
Two ten-hour operating periods, with a ten hour break:
Saturday, April 26 1600Z (Noon EDT) – April 27 0159Z (9:59 PM EDT)
Sunday, April 27 1200Z (8 AM EDT) - 2159Z (5:59 PM EDT)
20 Hours total

Exchange: RST and County (Florida stations)
RST and QTH (State, Province or Country for non-FL)

Where: 10, 15, 20 and 40 Meters

SUGGESTED OPERATING FREQUENCIES:

CW:      7.025-7.055, 14.025-14.055, 21.025-21.055, 28.025-28.055 MHz

Phone:  7.185-7.285, 14.225-14.325, 21.300-21.400, 28.400-28.500 MHz

Contacts outside these frequency ranges are still valid; see rules for details.

MOBILE WINDOW:
We expect several Mobile stations will be on and most can be found here:
CW:  7.025-7.035, 14.040-14.050, 21.040-21.050, 28.040-28.050 MHz
If you are not mobile, *please* refrain from calling CQ in these windows.

Categories:
Single Op, Multi Op, Multi-Multi, Mobile, Expedition, Technician and School.
Three power levels: QRP, Low, and High Power.
Use CW, SSB or both.

 

Special Event Award- 2025 FQP Spelling Bee! 

We will have a total of 14 special 1x1 stations whose suffixes spell PIRATES.  There will be two stations per suffix.  Contact at least one station of each suffix letter spelling PIRATES to earn this award. These stations will be on both modes and should be very accessible. QSL these 1x1 calls active in FQP via KU9C direct or via Logbook of The World (LoTW).                  

The call signs and hosts are: 

CALL    HOST    CTY      

K4P       W4GAC  PIN

N4P       K4NMR  GIL

K4I         AI4WW  BRO

N4I         WF4DX  CIT

K4R       N4WW   ORA

N4R       N6AR     ORA

K4A       WO4O    LAK

N4A       NF4A     BAY

K4T       N4OX     ESC

N4T       N4UU     ALC

K4E       K4EJ      PAS

N4E       NN7CW  LAK

K4S       K2SG     HER

N4S       N4SVC   SUW

 

PRIZES: Printable color Certificates for top participants
Plaques for top finishing entrants.

Web Site: http://www.floridaqsoparty.org/
Detailed rules, mobile routes, past results, plaques, county maps and much more! 

Be sure to check out the links under the Counties tab to two terrific county-tracking tools by Bob K0RC and Chuck NO5W (thanks guys!).

In addition, Chip N3IW runs a FQP spotting website at http://qsopartyhub.com/fqp-spots.php. Please remember that self-spotting or requesting to be spotted is not allowed (exception for spelling bee 1x1 stations only).

 

ACTION REQUIRED!!!

Florida Stations of all types – please go to the FQP website and register your fixed, mobile, expedition and 1x1 Spelling Bee operations; just click on the “Counties" link and then the Activation Forms to get started – thanks!

Saturday Registration Form:  https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/saturday-route/

Sunday Registration Form:  https://floridaqsoparty.org/counties/sunday-route/

*PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW YOUR ENTRY FOR ACCURACY BEFORE SUBMITTING*

Logs in Cabrillo format can be uploaded (preferred) at: https://fqp.contesting.com/fqpsubmitlog.php

or emailed to logs@floridaqsoparty.org; Paper logs via US mail to: Florida QSO Party, c/o Dan Street, K1TO, 9933 289th St E., Myakka City, FL 34251
Any questions or feedback? Please feel free to reply to me via email:

cqdenx4n@gmail.com

We highly encourage you to sign up to the FQP email Group fqp@groups.io. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the FQP email reflector may go to this link to sign up:  https://groups.io/g/FQP - Just click on the blue "Join this group" button below and follow the directions.

Thank you in advance for making the 2025 FQP another terrific event – see you then!
FQP - So Bright, you gotta wear Shades! 

73,
Chris, NX4N, on behalf of:

Chris, W4WF and Dan, K1TO – President and Past President
Florida Contest Group, proud sponsors of the FQP since 1998

Panama City ARC Spring Tailgate, April 12th, 2025

Panama City ARC Spring Tailgate, April 12th

                                

Attention Ham Radio Operators:         

I'd like to remind you about the Panama City Amateur Radio Club's Spring Tailgate coming up on Saturday, April 12th from 9am till 1pm. Ham's are invited to setup their rigs to showcase to the public what amateur radio is all about. The Bay County ARES group will be participating in a statewide emergency test (S.E.T.) on site.

There's old and semi-new electronic equipment for sale inside the club house. Plus, if you have equipment you'd like to sell or trade, bring it on down and display it on your vehicles tailgate or set up a table. We've notified all the radio clubs in the panhandle and expecting many buyers. You may just go home with money in your pocket or that piece of radio gear for your ham shack.

Lunch will be served around noon. So come on out, meet some new ham friends and share some radio stories with the newbies.

Talk-in Frequency: W4RYZ Repeater, 145.210MHz PL 100Hz

130 N. Church Ave.

Panama City, Florida 32401

73's

Roy Burkett KM4ROF

    

PARC Hamfest March 2025

The Playground Amateur Radio Club Hamfest was held in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jim K4LIX gives us his guided hamfest tour for our Beginner's Academy Zoom on March 18th, 2025.

Ham Radio via the ISS

Please take advantage of the ISS's ham radio before it sunsets in two to five years. For our March 10th Beginner's Academy Zoom, we discussed the cross-band repeater and APRS digipeater on the ISS.

Go Ahead, Try RaDAR

RaDAR is Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. The first Saturday of April and November are the RaDAR Rally Events. The upcoming RaDAR Rally is on April 5th, 2025. The rules are on www.radarrally.info. Go ahead and try RaDAR. It is a fun and exciting outdoor ham radio challenge. This was the topic of our Feb 24th, 2025, Beginner's Academy Zoom.